Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Salisbury, NC (2026)

Salisbury, North Carolina has a population of about 35,730. The city’s median household income is $51,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. There are 5 accredited criminal justice programs within 100 miles of Salisbury, with tuition ranging from $33,400 to $47,866 per year. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $137,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Salisbury

The five accredited institutions below are the closest options indexed in our directory that offer criminal justice programs. Distances are calculated from Salisbury city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Livingstone CollegeSalisbury, NC0.5 miContact school for pricing
Rowan-Cabarrus Community CollegeSalisbury, NC1.8 miContact school for pricing
Catawba CollegeSalisbury, NC1.8 mi$33,400 - $47,866
Pfeiffer UniversityMisenheimer, NC17.1 miContact school for pricing
Davidson-Davie Community CollegeThomasville, NC22.3 miContact school for pricing

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina criminal justice page.


Criminal Justice Wages Near Salisbury

Salisbury is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$137,270Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$141,079
Judge or Magistrate$74,170Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$76,228
Police Supervisor$103,870Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$106,752
Detective or Criminal Investigator$69,530Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$71,459
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$65,230Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$67,040
Correctional Officer$53,010Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$54,481
Probation Officer$60,410Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$62,086
Forensic Science Technician$50,420Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$51,819
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$53,550Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$55,036
Information Security Analyst$127,840Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$131,387

Source: BLS, May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Salisbury at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,730Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,058Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Salisbury-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice programs are near Salisbury, NC?

Our directory lists 5 criminal justice programs within 100 miles of Salisbury. The closest is Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC (0.5 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Davidson-Davie Community College (22.3 miles). 0 of these programs are offered fully online.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Salisbury?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Salisbury are: Attorney ($137,270), Information Security Analyst ($127,840), Police Supervisor ($103,870). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kannapolis instead of Salisbury?

Kannapolis, NC is 15.5 miles from Salisbury and has its own set of local criminal justice programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Salisbury an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Salisbury’s median household income of $51,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salisbury while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.